The New York Mets currently have the best record in the National League at 47-27.
They hold onto a five-game lead in the NL East, and have seemed to be commanding the division through the first half of the season.
However, given their recent history of coming up short, there are some worries surrounding the team already.
Look at 2021 for example, where the Mets were in first place for much of the early season.
This quickly turned around, as they fell apart and they missed the playoffs by a comfortable amount.
This collapse centered around their health, and it does this year too.
Some of their biggest players, especially pitchers, have been kept off the field so far.
Other teams have taken advantage of this, most notably the defending champion Atlanta Braves, who have improved to 42-32.
Now, with them just five games back, they are slowly climbing back into the conversation for the division title.
Injuries To The Aces
It all started with Jacob deGrom before the season, who suffered a right-scapula injury that has kept him on the injured list this year.
The loss of their ace seemed to be devastating, especially someone as dominant as deGrom.
While they were able to continue winning despite their missing piece, it isn’t someone they want to continue missing this year.
As such, the news of him throwing his first bullpen was promising.
However, it still seems like he may be far from returning to the mound in Queens.
The Mets’ big free agent signing in Max Scherzer has also run into injury troubles.
He suffered an oblique pull in May that has placed him on the injured list since.
It does appear that the star will return to the Majors soon, as he has looked solid in two rehab starts.
After feeling sore in his second appearance and not wanting to rush a return, the team is opting to have him make at least one more rehab start to make sure he is completely healthy and ready.
While this has slightly pushed the timetable back, the Mets appear encouraged that Scherzer will return to form soon.
That being said, if there is anything the Mets have learned in recent years, it is to be weary of health concerns.
The organization seems to have a curse around them, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong.
While it seems their star pitching is coming back, there is always the worry.
The Mets Standout Offense
There is no question that the Mets have one of the strongest lineups in MLB so far.
Slugger Pete Alonso has paced the team with 22 home runs and a .281 average, while Francisco Lindor has been solid to start the year.
However, beyond those two, there is a noticeable lack of power in the lineup.
While this hasn’t affected the team’s win percentage at all, it may highlight some questions for the offense’s longevity.
There is a distinct level of comfort that comes in knowing that any of your players can hit a ball out of the ballpark to produce runs.
So far this season, the Mets do not have that.
As such, it will be interesting to see if the offense can maintain itself all season.
If not, their lead in the NL East could slowly be chipped away.
After looking at their recent history, Mets fans are right to be cautiously happy about the team’s strong start.
They will be doing everything in their power to remain healthy and avoid a collapse like in 2021.
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